NARS Spring 2011: Madere

NARS Madere Pure Matte Lipstick ($25.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a pale pink-toned white-beige with a matte finish. It has great coverage, going opaque with little product, but as a matte, tends to cling to lips more than your average lipstick.

my thoughts on the formula: Pure Matte lipsticks have a matte finish, and while they’re not moisturizing, they don’t rob my lips of moisture. Lighter matte shades can take prep work, because the matte texture will emphasize any imperfections on your lips. Mattes do, however, last longer on lips, and NARS’ Pure Matte lipsticks last between four and five hours on me, though lighter shades like Madere are only three to four hours.

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Product: 27/30

Value: 8/10

Ease of Use: 4/5

Packaging: 4/5

final thoughts: I will say that this is by no means a flattering shade on me, and I don’t see it working for a wide variety of skin tones. It’s so pale that it will provide great contrast on darker skin tones, but it is borders on zombie-lips when I wear it. The slight pink in the color does bring it up a notch, but I see this working best for a certain look or on paler skin tones.

Dolce & Gabbana Secret Garden: Romance

Dolce & Gabbana Romance Eyeshadow Duo ($36.00 for 0.17 oz.) is new for spring, part of Dolce & Gabbana’s Secret Garden collection, which should make its way to Saks within the next couple of weeks. Romance includes a bright silvery white with a frosted, metallic sheen and a dirty gray with a satin finish. The silvery white works well both dry and wet, though the metallic sheen is more noticeable when it is used wet. The gray shade is best used wet, because it went on a little patchy when applied dry.

my thoughts on the formula: Dolce & Gabbana’s Eyeshadows are inconsistent, which is troublesome–you just never know if you’re going to get! Usually, they have a really silky smooth texture, but often, they do not perform so well when applied. I’ve found that using them wet often makes them more manageable (sometimes fantastic!).

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Product: 24/30

Value: 8/10

Ease of Use: 4/5

Packaging: 4/5

final thoughts: Both eyeshadows are okay–the gray shade being on the lower end, the silver shade being on the higher end. The duo does make for a quick and easy smoky eye, though, and I love that Dolce & Gabbana paired a matte shade with a frostier one.

Preview: Chanel Boy Rouge Coco Shine

Chanel Boy Rouge Coco Shine ($32.00 for 0.10 oz.) is a pale beige-y pink with a high shine and very soft, white micro-shimmer. It’s semi-sheer, and the fact that it’s more of a my-lips-but-better shade doesn’t yield a lot of noticeable color, but it’s pretty. The shade is available for a limited window of time (until February 14th) online and at select Nordstrom locations, and then it will return, along with the full range of Rouge Coco Shines, in April. Chanel describes the Rouge Coco Shine formula as a moisturizing, high-shine lipstick with a lightweight texture. The Hydratendre complex is supposed to hydrate and soften lips to give them a fuller look.

my thoughts on the formula: It’s a lightweight, nearly scent-free (I couldn’t distinguish what it was, but it was very faint), and has an emollient base. It applies evenly and smoothly, because it has that balm-like quality. Unfortunately, it only lasts two to three hours on me, but I would say it is on the moisturizing side.

The Glossover

The jury is still out for me--I'm going to have to see the other shades in the range before leaning one way or another (one shade is rarely enough to judge a brand by, particularly such a light shade). I'm curious to see the depth of the range and whether other shades will wear longer. Given that the wear is a below average, I'm also not pleased to see 0.10 oz. of product as compared to 0.12 for other lipsticks by Chanel.

Where to Buy

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Woodstock is a medium-dark fuchsia pink with a soft shimmer finish. This shade is available individually as part of the permanent range.

Baked is a rich copper with a metallic-frost finish. This shade is available individually as part of the permanent range, and it has been in the Baked, Book of Shadows, Vol. 1, and Alice in Wonderland palettes.

Uzi is a bright silvered white with silver glitter. Yes, there is fall out. This shade is available individually as part of the permanent range, and it has been in the Book of Shadows, Vol.3 and Sustainable palettes.

Sin is a pinky champagne with a frost finish. This shade is available individually as part of the permanent range, and it has been in the Alice in Wonderland and Naked palettes.

Flipside is a teal-tinged green with a metallic-frost finish. This shade is available individually as part of the permanent range, and it has been in Baked, Book of Shadows, Vol. 2, and Sustainable palettes.

Psychedelic Sister is a red-toned medium-dark purple with a shimmer finish. This shade is available individually as part of the permanent range, and it was in the Book of Shadows, Vol. III palette.

my thoughts on the formula: Urban Decay’s eyeshadows are rich in pigment, apply evenly, and feel like butter. Generally speaking, their formula is excellent. I will warn and caution you against their shades with “glitter” or “sparkle” in the finish–some of these can be prone to fall out (for example, Midnight Cowboy Rides Again).

In terms of value, the palette includes 0.18 oz. of eyeshadow ($61.20 value), 0.03 oz. of eyeliner ($12.75 value), and 0.13 fl. oz. of primer potion ($6.88 value). The total value of the palette is $80.83, while the retail price is $34.

I think sometimes we lose sight of what the beauty industry and market are like as a whole — not every person purchases every palette or even much at all. Not everyone enters at the same time, so even though you may find yourself owning many of the shades, it doesn’t make it a terrible product – Urban Decay does some really excellent shades that you can get year round, but these sure make those shades more accessible and affordable to people who don’t have a lot of Urban Decay or have always wanted to try it. It would be great to see new shades, of course, but I recognize what value they may hold to others.

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Product: 28/30

Value: 10/10

Ease of Use: 4/5

Packaging: 4/5

final thoughts: Fun has the most shades that are permanent/available individually, as they are all available whenever your heart desires. Whether it’s a good value/purchase depends on just how many Urban Decay products you have in your arsenal. The palette itself is an excellent value, and if you like more than two shadows, it works out to be the same if you had bought then individually ($17 each). Uzi has a slightly fussy finish/texture, but the other five eyeshadows are really nice, especially Woodstock and Baked.